Hot yoga

Andrew Huberman has discussed various aspects of yoga, including hot yoga, within the context of neuroscience and physiology. Here are some insights:

1. Pain Tolerance: Yoga practitioners tend to have higher pain tolerance than non-practitioners. This is linked to increased gray matter volume in the insula, a brain region associated with interoceptive awareness. This suggests that yoga can help reshape how individuals perceive and manage pain, not just in comfort but through cognitive strategies like positive imagery and breath focus 1.

2. Effects During Pregnancy: Moderate heat exposure, such as in hot yoga (around 100°F), has not been shown to be detrimental during pregnancy, provided it is done with caution and not pushed to extremes. This contrasts with extreme heat like saunas, which should be avoided by both pregnant women and men trying to conceive because of its negative effects on fetal development and sperm viability, respectively 2.

3. Stress Response and Energy: While not specifically about hot yoga, breathing and cold exposure exercises discussed by Andrew Huberman aim to boost energy and regulate stress response, which shares similarities with the controlled breathing exercises in yoga 3.

   • 

     1

     Yoga and Pain Tolerance

     01:53:55
   • 

     2

     Temperature Effects on Health

     02:02:32
   • 

     3

     Boosting Energy Naturally

     00:36:16

These insights highlight the cognitive and physiological benefits of yoga, including potentially enhanced pain tolerance and adaptive stress responses, with specific considerations for activities like hot yoga.